


Not Soon Enough (Too Soon)

by MagicalMusing



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Big Brother Shiro (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blood mentioned, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Everyone lives, Gay Keith (Voltron), Hanahaki AU, Keith never left for BoM, Lance is a hurt boi, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Canon Compliant, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Shiro never died, Violence but not graphic, concerned hunk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 05:09:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15405666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalMusing/pseuds/MagicalMusing
Summary: When Keith gets critically injured on a mission, Lance is left to deal with the aftermath and his memories of when he and Keith interacted.





	1. Orientation at the Galaxy Garrison

**Author's Note:**

> Starts when Lance and Keith are 12, third person POV that switches from Lance-centric to Keith-centric

Families packed the halls of the Galaxy Garrison freshman dorm. The noise level slowly rose and fell as people went in and out of their dorms, the building, and the hallways. Lance looked around, seemingly lost among the ocean of students and their parents, wanting to take everything and get started on his future career as a pilot. 

“Lance!” someone called at to the drowning boy. Lance’s eyes widened like the sea at high tide, he began looking in every direction for the person whose voice called out to him. Finally, he found his roommate and friend Hunk, moving over to him like a safety raft. 

“Hey buddy,” he called out, slowly working his way between people, “I didn’t expect so many people to be here,” he confessed, finally getting his mind on back on track and off the overwhelming number of people. 

“Neither did I,” Hunk smiled, giving Lance a hug, “took forever to find you once you left the room.” Lance hugged back and joined Hunk in laughter.

“Yeah, did you finish unpacking?” Lance asked, suddenly remembering how carefully he set up his cadet outfit for the following day and why he left the calm of their room, “do you know where and when we’re getting our schedules?” 

“I heard that the officers would be handing them out, but not when,” Hunk looked around for anything to confirm or deny the rumour.

“Yeah?” Lance looked around as well, “Well, I’m sure we’ll be able to find them later once some of the families leave and it’s not so crowded. Want to head back to the room until then?” he suggested coming up empty. 

“Yeah, but I might pass out for the night,” Hunk laughed, “unpacking was more exhausting than I expected.” 

Lance’s eyes swept around the room one more time in a small hope he’d missed one of their teachers giving out schedules, he instead saw a superior scolding a boy. Lance tugged on Hunks arm

“Hunk...it’s Takashi Shirogane…” Lance wanted to stare at his hero, slowly dropped his hand from Hunk’s sleeve. Instead he ended up drifting his eyes to the boy Shiro was scolding. 

A little short for his age, hairstyle definitely before his time, face red from embarrassment, or maybe anger as his arms were folded and his hand was rather red. Suddenly, the kid turned to look at Lance, the dying down anger in his violet eyes quickly turning soft when his eye’s met Lance’s and then to confusion as Lance shot him a small smile and waved directly to him. 

“I wonder who Mullet is” Lance thought before finally falling asleep  
Keith sighed in annoyance as he opened his dorm door, there were too many people here. Incoming freshmen didn’t seriously need this many people to help unpack right? Why couldn’t the other families drop their kid off, unpack, and be on their way. There was no need to have four other family members come along. Of course, Keith didn’t feel like he could say too much because he doesn’t need to be in the hallway right now. He’s also been hiding out in his room since Shiro left him to go do actual work earlier this morning. Between curiosity and knowing Shiro would be disappointed if Keith just sat in his room whenever he wasn’t in class, he ventured off aimlessly among the other students. 

Barely out of his hall and the whispers had already started. 

Violent  
Orphan  
Worthless  
Alone

They’d followed him everywhere he went. He didn’t expect anything to change, he just hoped it’d be better now that he had Shiro as his family. People began to stare as well, it was slowly suffocating him. How did he draw this much attention just by walking around? He hadn’t even interacted with enough people to get into a fight yet.

Keith forced himself to calm down, it’s okay he told himself, just turn down the next hall and it won’t be so bad. Maybe Shiro is in his office and you can stay there for a few minutes. Keith knew his anger was hard to control, but he desperately wanted to make Shiro proud and that meant not getting in fights. He could do this.

“Hey Kogane! Where are you running too? On your way out the door already? I’m surprised they even let you in here in the first place.” some random kid sneered, apparently Keith wasn’t as calm on the outside as he thought.

Breath Keith tried to focus. He looked around, many people were watching. A few sneering, some laughing, others looking down on him with plain pity. He hated that look, he didn’t need their pity. Breath

“Are you deaf too?” the kid stepped closer, Keith wasn’t going to let himself be backed into a wall. He straightened his back and looked the kid straight in the eyes, “ no wonder your Dad left you, they saw how useless you’d end up being. They didn’t want your burden on them”

Suddenly, Keith’s eye’s were burning with rage, many cadets who were standing closer to him took a step or two back. The kid who instigated Keith gasped, fumbling backwards.

Keith threw his first punch, hitting the kid straight in the jaw, “My dad didn’t abandon me,” he yelled, throwing his other fist towards the kids nose, “he died, you asshole.”  
Keith got in one more punch, in the center of the kids left check, before being pulled off by an officer. Keith tried to claw his way out of the persons arms, yelling nonsense to the kid. 

“KEITH” the person yelled. Keith immediately stopped moving, his body going stiff. He slowly turned his head to face the person holding him back. Keith fell slack in Shiro’s arms, focusing his eyes to the floor. Keith couldn’t bear to look into the disappointment that he just knew filled Shiro’s eyes. 

Shiro dragged Keith to a different alway before finally setting him down. Keith didn’t need to look to know what Shiro looked like, arms crossed, face stern, waiting for Keith to speak up.

“He….he said my dad left because he could tell how worthless I am…”Keith whispered, finally looking up at Shiro. Shiro’s face softened, his stance remained stern.

“Keith...you can’t just assault everyone you insults you,” Shiro let his arms fall, setting a hand on Keiths shoulder, “you have to learn to be the bigger man or you’re going to get expelled. The Garrison will only allow so many discipline actions before expelling you.”

“I know okay! I’m sorry. I did try, I really did,” Keith huffed

“Try harder.” Shiro demanded and continued to scold Keith on his behavior and anger. 

Keith felt a lot of people staring at them, but most people moved on their own or were shoo’d away by their parents. He felt one person continue to stare at him, they’re probably looking at Shiro he thought before impulsively looking around. 

Keith stopped on a pair of blue eyes staring at him. Keith didn’t know this boy, but he didn’t seem to pity Keith at all. Suddenly, the boy gave Keith a smile and wave. Keith tilted his head in confusion, is he...looking at me and not Shiro he questioned himself. His lips turns upward the smallest amount and he returned the small wave. 

Shiro cleared his throat, “are you even listening, Keith?”

“I think I’m going to head to bed now” 

“Just….come to my office before your first class tomorrow,” Shiro sighed, “and don’t get into trouble on your way back!” he shouted after Keith as he took the turn to go back to his hallway.

He’s probably going on a mission Keith’s small smile faltered. Shiro was going to leave him just like everyone else did wasn’t he? 

He eye’s were like Neptune Keith thought, thinking back on the boy who didn’t seem to pity him.


	2. Final Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is in and out of consciousness and having dream-like flashbacks of the times he fell in love with Lance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> parts in italics are flashbacks

Falling…

 

A band of purple, a flash of pain, alarms blaring from every direction, and falling. Another wave of pain hits Keith as the galran warrior shoots him again, this time getting his leg. He finally hits the floor and the Galra leave him to bleed out. The team split up for this mission, he thinks, someone will find him...right? They wouldn’t leave him behind, not his team, not his brother, not Lance. Lance never left anyone behind.

_"Nope, don't remember it. Didn't happen" Lance smirks with his back to Keith._ __  
_      A wave of pain washes over him, Keith bites the inside of his lip to keep from crying out. The pain focalized in his chest, like something was squeezing and pushing against his lungs at the same time.  _ _  
_ _    Keith quickly makes his way to his room, stripping off his armor as fast as his can. Keith couldn't breath, gasping he fell to the floor. It was too much, Keith screamed out in pain. The screams quickly turned into coughs, his whole body convulsing to get whatever was in his throat out.  Eventually, the beginnings of a liliac bud fell out. Keith was still gasping for air, he hardly recognized what had fallen out, choosing instead to crawl into his bed and lie on his back. That was the first of many buds and petals to claw their way out of Keith’s throat. _

“...th….eith...KEITH” Keith felt dizzy and cold. Who’s moving me he thought, unable to focus on his surroundings, only recognizing the alarms that continued to blare on all sides. He attempted to look at who was trying to drag him while fighting off more Galra, but as soon as he moved his head darkness took over his vision again.

_ Keith takes everyone to the cave, he looks arounds and sees Lance relax a little. Lance goes to touch a cave wall, causing drawings to light up the cave and lead the way. Lance seems to glide to where the drawings of leading them, and Keith feels safe following Lance.  The feeling puzzled him, he hadn’t really felt this kind of safe in a long time.  _

_ Finally finding Blue, Keith stared is awe, he didn’t even realize where his feet had taken him.  He wasn’t surprised his feet had taken to near Lance. Keith missed seeing him every day in the hallways, he missed seeing anyone actually. he’d forced himself to stay away from Lance and his friends at the Garrison. He wouldn’t let anyone else get hurt because of him. _ _  
_ _   "maybe you just gotta knock" _

_ Keith is slightly jealous, he’d been coming to this cave for weeks...months even and nothing. And the person Keith had always admired from afar (far away) had solved the puzzle in two seconds. _

“..buddy. It’s okay, I’m gonna get you the castle of lions and into a cyropod...you just gotta hold on a little longer,” keith comes to again, the alarms are still there but now their muted. He had been laid down on the floor, his back on a wall.  _ Blue _ ...Lance must have found him. 

“You…” Keith tried to speak, “you never...leave anyone…” he had to take multiple breaths every few words, “behind…”

“Shut up, Keith. You can’t waste your breath like that right now.  Talking is energy and you need all you have right now, besides when you’re healed I have something important to tell you” Lance turned to face him and then back to the control panel, “ Coran this is Lance. Get a cyropod ready immediately.  Keith’s been hurt, he’s bleeding everywhere,” Lance seems to talk faster than normal and stumble over his words, “Hunk, can you make sure to grab Red, can’t let the Galra get her again,”

'Lance does good in charge' Keith thought before passing out again.

“Keith, keith oh god please wake up. You’re almost there, look we’re in Blue’s hangar. Just a few more feet,” Lance pleaded 

“I told him your name,” Keith whispered, refusing to let any petals fall from his mouth.

“What...told who?” Lance looked down at Keith’s head,or rather the back of his head as Keith was struggling to keep himself up, even with Lance’s help

“Shiro…” Keith gripped Lance tighter, almost falling down, “when we save him and we were all in my shack….you asked how he knew your name,” 

“Look, the medbays right here,” Lance pulled himself and Keith into the medbay, Coran had finished preparing a cyropod and gone back to helping the other paladins “So, why did you tell him my name?” Lance inquired, more hoping to keep Keith awake for a minute more 

“Because I love you,” Keith choked out, feeling petals rise in his throat. Lance pulled him into the cyropod as he began coughing, blood spluttering out.

“Good,” Lance leaned in and gave Keith a quick peck on the check and started to close the pod, “because I love you too and I’m gonna be pissed if you don’t heal quickly,” he chuckled.  

Keith quickly fell asleep in the pod, a small half smile on his face and still feeling the Eupatorium, Lilac, and Asphodel petals forcing their way out of his mouth.

  
_ Keith stared off towards Lance. He was talking...no flirting with Nyma.  _

_ ‘Well...that’s Lance’ keith thought, the pain of lilac petals trying to escape his lungs brought his full attention back to the other alien they had found. At least talking about the damaged ship would distract him.  _

_ “Take me on a ride to the moon” Nyma almost purred,  _

_ “Uhh….I don’t know,” Lance stumbled, “we should probably stay with the group,”  _

_ “Maybe Keith will take me then…”Nyma turned her head towards Keith _

_ “Oh...hey wait a second, I mean...what’s the point of being a Paladin of Voltron if you don’t get to enjoy it, right?” Lance pulled the female alien into Blue and they took off.  _

_ Keith excused himself from the other alien’s presence, hiding away inside Red as the purple-blue petals fell out of his mouth, a fit of coughing came to him in an instant, causing him to fall to his knees near the control panel.  _

_ “Guys? Hello? Little help?” Lance called through the intercoms. _

_ Keith began coughing harder, this time, small droplets of blood feel his mouth as a long white petal with a red streak down the middle floated onto the floor. He’d never seen this kind of flower before.  _

_ “Are you alright?” _

_ “What’s going on?” _

 

_ “Well...I’m kind of chai….ree...and I think N….o just stole Blue…” Keith’s coughs drowned out some of Lance’s words.  _

_ ‘Great’ Keith thought, ‘Lance is stuck and his lion was stolen because I had to come hid away and cough up stupid flowers’ Keith mentally kicked himself, coughing once more to make sure all the flowers were gone and getting into his seat to get Lance from the moon he was stuck on. _


	3. Too Soon and Not Soon Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith comes out of the healing pod, Lances learns the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are flashbacks

_ Hanahaki Disease i _ _ s a fictional disease in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings (romantic love only; strong friendship is not enough), or when the victim dies. It can be cured through surgical removal, but when the infection is removed, the victim's romantic feelings for their love also disappear. _

 

Lance paced around the medbay for hours, he only left for dinner; which he ate very quickly and then returned to the medbay. Keith’s cyropod had formed a shaded gloss on the inside and Lance could only barely see his outline. 

 

“I don’t want to be Lance and Keith, neck and neck anymore…” he whispered to Keith’s pod just loud enough for himself to hear. Eventually, he slumped down and leaned against the side of the cyropod, “you better come out of there soon, Keith..” 

 

_ Lance remembered looking at Keith in admiration at first, he had the best grades, best test scores, best simulation scores. He was amazing and Lance thought he was untouchable. Lance was genuinely hurt when Keith rejected his first attempt at friendship, and the three afterwards.  _

 

_ Then Lance was jealous of Keith, he had the best grades and best simulation scores. He was brothers with The Shirogane Takashi. Yet he still swept past everyone in their year on pure skill. He’d probably forgotten how often Lance used to bug him to be friends. _

 

_ Jealousy turned into a goal; Lance wanted to beat Keith. Their one-sided rivalry was a race and Lance always seemed to be 5 yards behind. Lance would be better fighter pilot if it was the last thing he did, he’d win this race.  _

 

_ Then the pilot classifications came out. Cargo Pilot. Top of the class yeah, but cargo nonetheless.  _

 

_ There was Keith, top of the Fighter Pilot class. _

 

_ ‘Best at everything’ Lance had thought before walking back to his room. He’d make his work, he resolved, still determined to move up to Fighter and come out in first place against Keith in their race. _

 

A push of air pulls Lance out of his head and into reality. He jumped up and turned to Keith’s pod as the class unsealed and started to open

 

“Keith…” Lance spoke softly, not wanting to startle Keith as he was waking up.

 

Keith’s eyes opened, he went to step out of the healing pod, stumbling into Lance, who was ready to catch him. Keith recalled the events of the night before; the mission, the alarms, the Galra who shot him...what he told Lance.

 

“I’m...I’m alive…” Keith spoke in disbelief. 

 

“Yeah, year you are,” Lance’s voice cracked as he helped Keith to his feet, “You are definitely alive,” Lance teared up, “I’m so happy you made it, god I love you so much Keith.” 

 

Somehow laughing and crying at the same time, Lance went to hug Keith, attempting to bury his head into Keith’s neck.

 

Keith froze for a moment before shoving Lance off of him, “what the hell are you doing, get off of me,” he almost shouted, Keith started to walk away.

 

Lance, who had practically gone limp while trying to hug Keith, fell to the floor. He wanted to look at Keith, ask him what was wrong, but his eyes fell to the floor of the healing pod. Lance instinctively reached into the pod while tears rapidly fell down his face, this time from heartbreak instead of overwhelming joy. 

 

“I’m sorry…” he choked out, making Keith look back. Within Lance’s palm sat withered purple, white and deep pink flower petals, “I’m sorry” lance cried out again as his body shook with sobs

 

“Yeah well...I guess we just weren’t quick enough,” Keith half-heartedly shrugged his shoulders and left Lance to himself, “it’s probably better this way anyway,” he gave Lance one last look, one filled with pity and disdain.

 

‘I wonder if there’s dinner leftovers’ he thought as he exited the medbay

 

_ “Awe yeah! Fighter course here I come! Hasta la later Keith” Lance danced around in the hallway after finding out he’d finally been moved up form Cargo, “and look Hunk, you’re my engineer.” He went to high five Hunk _

 

_ “Who’s….Pidge Gunderson?” Hunk asked, high fiving Lance _

 

_ “I am,” Lance jumped at the voice behind him, whipping around. In front of them stood a shorter boy, a year or two younger with big round glasses that didn’t quite fit their face.  _

 

_ “Nice to meet you Pidge, I’m your pilot Lance and this is Hunk,” He smiled, pointing slightly behind him to Hunk _

 

_ Once alone, Lance’s happiness faded quickly. He wanted to be a fighter pilot, but not at the expense of Keith not being able to be a pilot at all.  _

 

Lance stays there, frozen in his place on the floor, sobbing as he stared at the flowers in the pod. 

‘How did I not know?’ he screamed in his head. 

 

Lance had cried for hours after Keith left him, by now everyone would be asleep again. He didn’t want to be alone in his room, and would be too tempted to fly home to Earth if he went to seek Blue’s comfort. Lance pulled himself to his knees, gathering up the withered flowers and tossing them into the bin.  ‘I’ll go train in the training deck for a few hours,’ he figured. 

 

To his disappointment, when he got to the training deck, the light was on and a simulation already running. He took a deep breath and opened the door, knowing exactly who was in there and wanting it to be anyone else.  Sometimes he really wished things would go right for him once.

 

Keith stood in the middle of the room, his uneven breath indicated he’d been there for a few hours at least.  Lance attempted to tame the new wave of sobs he felt rushing through his body, but one escaped at he watched Keith defeat robot after robot. The noise called to Keith’s attention, making eye contact with the heartbroken Cuban boy he’d at one point admired as if he was the only thing that existed. 

 

Lance stumbled backwards when Keith made eye contact with him, turning and running away to his room. Lance couldn’t hold back the body racking sobs once his door closed. Lance felt an unfamiliar tightness, and somewhere in his mind knew what was happening.  After a few minutes however, Lance finally allowed himself to sleep. When he awoke the next afternoon to a distress call, Lance found Daffodil petals scattered on his pillow and few knocked off onto the floor.

 

_“Lance...Lance wake up” Hunk shook_ _Lance awake, “Lance you’re going to hear this, buddy” Hunk urged_

 

_ “Can’t it wait Hunk? I need my beauty sleep,” Lance slurred, hidden among his pillows and too many blankets _

 

_ “Lance, it’s about the Kerberos mission,” Hunk lowered his voice slightly, “I don’t think it’s good news either,” _

 

_ Lance shot straight out of bed, his overnight clay mask cracked and small bits falling, “Kerberos? Why would there be news about the Kerberos mission?” Lance started pulling off his pajamas and rushed to get in his uniform. _

 

_ Shortly after, Hunk and Lance met up with the rest of their class and the other students at the Galaxy Garrison, _

 

_ “Iverson called a whole school in to announce the news” Hunk whispered _

 

_ The whole school sat in silence for what felt like hours when Iverson announced the whole crew of the Kerberos Mission; Shirogane Takashi, Samuel Holt and Matthew Holt, were missing and presumed dead, due to pilot error.  _

 

_ A shout pulled Lance out of his fazed state, he turned to look at who it came from. Keith. A few officers reached out to comfort him, but he flung them away, flinging the door open and slamming it shut. The sudden loud noise in the dead silent room caused many students to flinch. _

 

_ ‘Of course Keith would blow up’ Lance thought, ‘Shiro is basically his brother,” Lance hadn’t even thought of how the crews family members were doing, just how he’d lost his role model. _

 

Lance was almost pleased with how well he’d hidden his Daffodil and Salvia petals, hiding them in his suit and leaving them behind on missions. He’d definitely be pleased if it didn’t mean he was dying. His mama and abuela are gonna be pissed at him when they find out. Yeah, Lance was headstrong and stubborn when it came to things like love, but to die for someone he knew could never physically return his love anymore...no one thought he’d ever go that far. 

 

As time went on, missions took more out of Lance, and being anywhere near Keith caused the roots in his chest to tighten and flowers to claw their way up his throat. He did his best to not wince at the pain, but, sooner then he’d liked, he could only withstand refusing the petals for a couple minutes. It was then that his teammates started noticing and grew concerned.

 

“Lance, are you okay? I- we’ve all noticed you don’t stick around after missions and you’re barely at team bonding stuff for very long.” Hunk and Pidge called out through his door. Lance was more concerned about them hearing his coughs as he gathered up his petals and stuck them inside his suit before opening the door.

 

“I’ll be fine guys, I’ll be around more soon…” Lance drifted, not really wanting to look them in the eyes. He was up to three flowers as he’d discovered Primerose petals a few days ago. Some people had up to 10 different flowers before it killed them, some only one, “Coran said the planet we’re close to has beaches and the water is safe for humans...So I think I’ll spend the afternoon on a beach...maybe I’ll get out of this funk when I get back,” He wanted to be careful, hoping to get across he wanted to be alone...completely alone for the day.

 

“That’ll be good for you, Lance,” Hunk smiled, patting his shoulder, “you haven’t been the beach since a few weeks before we found Blue.” Pidge gave him a weird look, but didn’t question his choices. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith's flowers and meanings: Asphodel(regret), Eupatorium(late) and Lilac (first love)  
> Lance's flowers and meanings: primerose (I can't live without you), Daffodil (unreciprocated love) and Salvia (I will always think of you)
> 
> Again, endings is open to however you'd like it to end! Please leave comments and kudos, hope you enjoyed my writing


End file.
